


Special Delivery

by LadyArchive



Series: Extra, Extra!  Adventures before the Newsboys strike [2]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Backstory, Canon Compliant, Gen, Jack Needs a Hug, Jack caught, Minor Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, Poor Jack, Pre-Canon, Prison, The Refuge (Newsies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28353000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyArchive/pseuds/LadyArchive
Summary: "After his release I caught him myself, red handed, trafficking stolen food and clothing."Usually kids are caught out on the streets of New York and dragged to the Refuge, not already there when they're caught.  But much as Jack hates the place he knows the kids in there need something.  So he makes delivery runs, bringing them supplies and, most importantly, hope.  But what happens when one of these deliveries goes wrong?  Taking place August 1898
Series: Extra, Extra!  Adventures before the Newsboys strike [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2076405
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	1. Christmas Comes Early

Jack and Specs steadily rowed the “borrowed” boat across the Harlem River. After so many trips they had both developed a good rhythm to keep the boat moving steadily over the waves, keeping quiet enough to blend in with the natural lapping of the waves on Randall’s Island. Jack had to admit, with the two of them it was a lot faster trip than when he had first started alone. He was still a little nervous about Specs being at risk as well but as the taller newsie had pointed out, the quicker they got in, the quicker they were out, which meant less chance of either of them getting caught. 

At the prow of the boat was a pair of burlap sacks. Both a bit stained and worn but the fabric was tough and had held out this long. Inside one was a few fresh fruits, bread of various sizes and types, and other simple foodstuffs. The other held mostly shirts and pants and a couple of waistcoats. Once the autumn set in they would be smuggling blankets, socks, and extra layers but for now just the basics would do. With neither boy daring to talk more than necessary and the rowing almost like muscle memory by now Jack found his thoughts drifting to the events that led up to these delivery runs.

He’d been sitting up in his penthouse, looking out over the city cast in the dull light that came just before sunrise. He had stepped into his role as the Manhattan newsies’ leader for about a year and things had gone pretty smoothly. Sure he had to fend off the Delanceys and help out new kids, especially the little ones, to learn all the tricks of the trade and point them in the right direction of safe selling spots. But that wasn’t altogether new for him. Never one to ignore another newsie in a tight spot Jack had been in plenty of scrapes on behalf of a younger newsie or two and always had a word of advice when someone needed to find a new selling spot or other tips. That was probably why Blink had clearly been setting Jack up to take his place when he had gotten too old to hawk headlines. Given how much extra responsibilities Jack had been taking on it was practically business as usual for the first few months.

But then Finch hadn’t shown up at the Lodging House one evening. Asking around had revealed that he’d gotten nabbed and almost certainly dragged off to the Refuge. Of course a kid with a slingshot sticking out of his pocket was just too easy an excuse for the Spider to build up numbers of inmates and laborers. 

Already all too familiar with what life was like in the Refuge, the news that one of his friends, the newsies Jack was supposed to be looking out for, was in there felt like a punch in the stomach. Nightmares of the Refuge were not exactly rare for Jack under the best of circumstances but they were so much worse in the days following that news. Which was why he hadn’t bothered to go back to sleep after jolting awake from another one. Not even drawing to get the images out of his head had seemed to be helping. Finch and all the other kids, shivering on dirty beds, empty stomachs grumbling.

That was when the crazy idea hit. He could do something. He had spent the next day selling papers mostly as normal but also scoping out places he could get what he needed. Jack had a little bit of a savings. But not so much he could blow it all in one shot buying a large amount of food and clothes. He’d have to steal them. 

Finch had been as ok as could be expected. The only complaint he had voiced was irritation at his slingshot being confiscated- though Jack knew better than to believe that was the worst part. And when Jack saw the old spark of happiness, of  _ life _ in not just his friend’s eyes but all the kids sharing the dormitory with him at the sight of the food and warmer clothes Jack knew he’d made the right decision. 

And all those faces changing from hopelessness and fear to something with a bit more spirit was why he couldn’t quite bring himself to stop even when Finch’s sentence was up and he was released. He knew other kids in there and even the ones he didn’t...he just couldn’t forget them. The empty eyes set in gaunt faces. The newsies weren’t exactly feasting like kings and most of their clothes had seen better days. But they had it worlds better than kids locked up in the Refuge. Jack would know.

So now here they were, him and Specs. Specs was the first to work out what Jack was up to but he wasn’t the only one and most had offered to help. But he had only agreed to let Specs coming along out of necessity and Jack stubbornly refused anymore. Even if they could work a little quicker with more hands, too many would raise the chances of getting noticed. Not to mention it was a lot easier to find and sneak off with smaller boats along the city’s shores and docks. 

The silhouette of the Refuge grew steadily larger as they approached. No matter how many times they came, looking at the building, the home of so many nightmares, still put Jack on edge. But that was fine. It kept him alert and able to do what they came for and get out. Finally, the boat came scraping up against the island’s shore. Well practiced by now the two boys quickly climbed out of the boat, laying the oars down inside before pulling it up a little further. They were far enough away from any buildings that no one should hear the sound of wood dragging across rocks and sand and the spot was sheltered enough to avoid being noticed by anyone not actively looking for something. With a nod they each grabbed one of the sacks and made their way over the darkened fields. The sliver of moonlight didn’t offer much guidance along the rough ground neither boy minded the challenge. Jack had tried going during full moons the first few visits but found it felt like being under a spotlight the whole time. And Specs had never complained, in fact Jack sometimes wondered if after years of managing without glasses until they’d all scraped and saved enough for his first pair he had learned to navigate well without seeing much more than vague shapes. 

They crept along the outer wall until they came to a large iron gate. The gate let out to a road- if the unpaved path carved out by wagon wheels could qualify as a road. Following it out, Jack knew, would lead to wide fields filled with small graves. On a clear day the markers were visible from the building but on a night like this the area would just be a pool of shadows. But it was the other direction the newsies were interested in, getting inside the Refuge itself. With a little work Jack and Specs managed to push their bags between the bars. Some of the baked goods might come out a little squished for it but they were still fresh which was more than could usually be said for the meals in this place and quieted growling stomachs just as well.

Next came the somewhat trickier part of climbing up the metal bars and to the top of the gate. Jack went first, grasping the metal bars and rungs tightly and climbing his way up until he could hoist himself over the top. Then carefully lowering himself down on the other side. 

“All clear,” he whispered after glancing around. There were of course guards on patrol, both outside and in the buildings but no one expected kids to be coming  _ in.  _ All Snyder’s guards had their eyes on the main building and all it’s potential exits. Still, it was best to keep alert.

Soon enough Specs had made his way up and over as well, dropping down beside Jack. The two quickly gathered up the bags and headed towards the dark outline of a building in the distance. Memories of times he unwillingly spent here flitted across Jack’s mind. But that was why they were here. Because other kids were going through those same things right now. And if a few extra blankets or clothes and decent food could make it just a little easier on them then that was something.

They moved as quietly as they could and reached the base of an old fire escape. There was no avoiding the slight rattling of the metal joints as they climbed but they had mostly figured out a slow, careful pace to keep it as quiet as possible. Fortunately once they reached the upper platforms it was actually pretty stable and he and Specs had gotten good at keeping their footsteps quiet. They went straight for the upper floors where they knew the dormitory windows were. 

They had never had any pattern for what sections or rooms they visited but they had long since scoped out which could be accessed with the least chance of passing guard’s rooms or offices. Following his gut on which window to start with tonight Jack gestured for Specs to stop. The window on the platform led to a darkened hallway but off to the side was a smaller window with bars set around it. Jack leaned over the rail to tap against the pane of glass. 

Through the grime he could see motion in the dimly lit room before the glass opened up. A boy that looked only a few years younger than Jack appeared behind the bars, his eyes squinting into the darkness from behind messy blond hair before he spotted Jack. 

“What the-”

Jack quickly raised a finger to his lips, shushing the boy. “Keep it down but go and wake up the other fellas, ok?” He said.

The boy continued to stare wide eyed at Jack and Specs. He was thin but had a roundness in his face that made Jack wonder if he might be even younger than he initially thought. But even youthful energy couldn’t quite cover the shadows under his eyes. Probably relatively new to the Refuge, it always took awhile to learn to sleep through the feeling of rats climbing over you. 

Slowly his gaze trailed down to the bundles at their feet. “You’s delivering something?” He asked with a tilt of his head.

“Somethin’ like that,” Specs chuckled. “But we wanna be outta here before sunrise so go wake the others already.”

“Well, what d’ya know?” He laughed taking in the sight of the two newsies beginning to open the bags. “Hey fellas, come looky here! It’s Christmas!” He called, glancing back into the room.

“Shaddup, I’s tryin’ to sleep.”

“It ain’t morning yet.”

A few grumbled responses came from inside but the towheaded boy was not to be deterred. Coming as sporadically as they did and to random rooms Jack had mostly learned to accept that it would always take a few moments for the kids inside to sort out what was going on. 

“How d’ya like that? St. Nicholas knocking at the window and you lot jus’ wanna sleep.” The boy moved further into the room out of Jack’s sight before Jack could remind him to keep his voice down. “C’mon, get up!”

“Oi! Nitwit ya wants the guards to hear the news too,” another voice hissed. A few moments later another face appeared at the window. Jack recognized the angular features and distinctively crooked nose, most likely the result of a fistfight, as a boy who had been in the place since almost a year ago. “Been awhile. Good to see you two,” he grinned.

“Well, you know it takes time to get quality supplies together,” Jack teased.

“Hey! Lemme through.” Voices began to rise from inside the room as more of the kids inside seemed to realize what was going on. The old ones knowing what it meant and new ones at least catching on that it was something not to be missed. Or maybe having heard stories about the random nightly deliveries.

“What’ve they brought this time?”

“Wait yer turn- I got this spot.”

The boy turned back into the room, seeming to shove someone back a bit. “Pipe down or we ain’t gonna get nothin’ but the switch.” He warned. Quickly the commotion died down as the boys seemed to get into some sort of organization. With that Jack and Specs began passing out the food as one boy after another came to the window. In the darkness and at the slight angle it was hard to see but they still made sure to glance at what each boy was wearing. Taking note of boys with pants being held up by makeshift belts or other signs of not fitting right or shirts that were little better than rags and making sure to offer replacements from the bag of clothes.

“Room down the hall’s got a kid with some busted fingers- ain’t met quota in a couple days.” the boy with the broken nose said after they’d given something to everyone in the room. “Three doors down, I think.” 

  
Jack nodded, understanding the meaning. Failing to meet the Spider’s expectations in the workrooms meant  cut rations at meal times, and they weren’t exactly filling meals to start with. “Thanks, we’ll head there before we get too low.” Once they’d given something to all the boys in that room Jack and Specs slung the bags over their shoulders and set out to continue the delivery run.


	2. Caught in the Web

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention in the summary, this is taking place in August 1898, putting Jack at roughly 16 years old. It has been added now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had gotten about 2/3 of this chapter done when a plot bunny started forming out of it that just wouldn't leave my brain until I wrote it out, partly as there wound up being some references to it here. So you may notice I've posted a new story titled "Where Better to Escape Trouble" and there are some vague allusions to it in this chapter (though it shouldn't be necessary to read it). I want to give this story precedence in getting written before classes start but will do my best to keep both updated in reasonable time.

The bags were noticeably lighter by the time  they had made it to the north wing, the section reserved for the ones the guards classified as the “worst sort.” Which meant anything from actually having committed worse crimes than the usual vagrancy or theft to just having enough attitude to get on the Spider’s nerves by talking back or standing up to him and his guards. Needless to say, Jack was pretty familiar with this section. Which was why even though he and Specs tended to prioritize the sections with the smaller kids, or if any of the newsies were locked up whatever rooms they were in, Jack still tried to distribute something here.

Adjusting the bag’s rope strap over his shoulder Jack gripped the rung of the ladder only to feel it shift more than it should, bits of rust flaking off at his touch. “How’s about we take it one at a time for this one,” he suggested just to be cautious. Specs gave a nod understanding to wait at the bottom until Jack had reached the platform above. So with that Jack began his climb he reached the top, raising a hand to grip the railing and hoist himself up the rest of the way. Only for the frame to shift, metal creaking and grating against itself with the movement.

“Who’s there?” A gruff voice called out of the darkness. From this height Jack could make out the glimmer of a lantern in the distance. A guard on patrol. Who was now headed straight towards the source of the sound. 

With a muttered curse Jack scrambled down the ladder, hating how loud the metal scraped and rattled but he couldn’t take it slow now. Once halfway down he stopped bothering with the ladder altogether and dropped down to the ground. “C’mon, run,” he urged Specs, who already fell in step alongside Jack as the two ran.

“Hey, you! Stop! Get back here!” The guard shouted after them, followed by the shrill sound of a whistle being blown.

With any hope of the guard thinking the sound had just been the wind both boys abandoned their bags in favor of gaining a little more speed. Suddenly the grounds were alive with activity. Windows flew open, lights inside brightening and casting their glow out into the grounds. More voices and whistles filled the night air as the alarm was raised. Jack dared to cast a glance over his shoulder and could see more spots of light appearing and gathering to join the chase and even a few extra shadowy figures alongside the ones carrying the lights. 

“I’ll draw ‘em off, get the boat ready to go” Jack hissed to Specs as they ran. “If I ain’t there in five minutes, start rowin’.” 

“But-”

“Do it!” He ignored Specs’ protests, emphasizing his instruction by giving the other boy a shove forward. “Ten minutes. I’ll be there.” Not wasting any more time for arguing Jack veered off to the side, deliberately headed for a patch of light spilling out from a window above. Sure enough as soon as he was in the light the guards spotted him.

“There! I see him!” 

“He’s going for the yard!” 

“Quick, that way!” 

“We’ve got ‘im!”

Jack kept on running in the same direction. He had to keep his path predictable, let them see him, hear him stumbling. He had plenty of tricks for escaping from a chase but now he was going against all his own advice. He could lose them later, for now he had to bait them all to follow him instead of fanning out all over the grounds. 

Whistles continued to scream into the night, windows opened as guards inside heard the alarm as Jack’s heart pounded as he ran as fast as he could. The sack bounced against his back but even the momentary distraction of shrugging it off his shoulder would be too much effort. The only thing on the newsie’s mind was run, run, run.

After a night spent rowing followed by going up and down ladders and stairs he wasn’t exactly at full strength but he had to push through. His breathing was coming ragged and his steps more stumbling but finally the end of the building came into view. Jack just had to make it around that corner and the guards would lose sight of him long enough for him to change direction and disappear into the darkness.

With his target in sight he mustered up a second wind, his feet moving faster. He turned sharply as soon as he reached the corner and-

Slammed into someone. Someone with a lot more weight than the teenager behind their own momentum and while Jack was sent sprawling back and hitting the ground hard they only stumbled with a brief curse.

That came from an all too familiar voice.

Jack’s blood had already gone cold by the time he looked upward to see none other than Snyder the Spider himself looming over him. The man wasted no time, lunging forward to grab Jack by the collar and hauling him to his feet.

He squinted in the dim light studying Jack’s face before recognition set in with a cruel grin. “Well, if it isn’t Jack Kelly, finally made your way back to us.” he sneered. 

“Not for long,” Jack flailed against Snyder’s grip. Swinging wildly he still managed to land a punch to his stomach, sloppy but enough to earn a breathless grunt from Snyder. Using the brief distraction, Jack wrenched himself out of the warden’s grasp. In his peripheral vision he saw the other guards drawing closer and made to run away from the building into the darkness. But Snyder was close behind and Jack only made it a few strides before he felt a grip on his arm, pulling back with painful force and throwing Jack off balance. The next thing he knew Snyder had swung him around, twisting his arm behind his back and pushing him forward into the brick wall.

Jack struggled, desperately trying to shake Snyder off of him. But all his troubles earned him was an extra shove against the wall, his cheek scraping against the rough brick. “Now, now, none of that,” Snyder growled, his voice close behind Jack. When his squirming continued Snyder twisted his arm to a harder angle. Jack froze, wincing from both current and remembered pain. “Cuffs! Now!” Snyder barked at the guards as they arrived.

_ No,no,nonono!  _ He couldn’t be caught- especially not right on the Refuge grounds! He had to get loose, had to make a break for it. The newsies were all counting on him, he had to be out there, to look out for them. But his breath was caught in his throat and his stomach twisted. He was back in Snyder’s web All too quickly the metal was clicking tightly into place, cold against Jack’s wrists. He was then roughly shoved Jack to stumble into one of the guards grasp.

“Watch your feet with that one,” Snyder warned the guard, clearly not having forgotten any of Jack’s usual tactics. Of course, the real problem was this wasn’t the streets where Jack could duck into Medda’s theatre or disappear in a crowd. He was on an  _ island,  _ not to mention now had his hands cuffed behind his back. And even if he could break away, like hell was he risking leading them straight to their docking spot.

Jack’s heart pounded in his chest as he made a few halfhearted attempts to pull free but the panic was starting to set in as he realized how thoroughly cornered he really was. All he could do was watch as Snyder made his way over to the bag that Jack had nearly forgotten about. Lifting up the burlap fabric he revealed a decidedly crushed loaf of bread and pair of apples. “What do we have here?” He straightened, still holding the bag as he looked over to Jack. “Now, what would you be smuggling all this for, Jack?”

“In case I needed a snack, I’ve heard island picnics are popular,” Jack replied, doing his best to put on a cheeky grin. He just hoped the darkness helped hide the flicker of fear that he felt.

“We’ll see about that,” he replied, turning his attention to the guard holding Jack. “Take him to a solitary room. The rest of you I want a thorough search of the grounds done, make sure we don’t have any other unexpected guests.”

Jack’s squirming against the guard’s hold gained a renewed strength at those words. Had Specs followed his instructions? Even if he did, it hadn’t been five minutes yet. How long before a search got to the shoreline? More energy or not though his efforts didn’t seem to make much difference as he was pushed forward and forced toward the front of the building. His throat felt tight as the large doors came into view. He’d spent years learning to survive on the streets, not always as a law abiding citizen but at least avoiding getting caught at anything. All to have just delivered himself right into the Spider’s web.


	3. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Snyder is none too happy about kids having been sneaking in and out of his prison and Jack gets a taste of what this latest stay in the Refuge will be like.

Jack sat on the small cot of one of the solitary confinement rooms. As if it wasn’t hard enough finding a comfortable position with his hands still stuck behind his back he was itching to be doing something. A solitary chamber might have been the one place in the Refuge where prisoners weren’t elbow to elbow with someone else but Jack still felt stiflingly cramped, all too aware of how small the room was with only a few slivers of moonlight coming through the small window high up on one wall.  
Jack liked to think he had a decent sense of time usually. But just sitting here in a sparse room tucked away deep in the Refuge with nothing to do and only worries to think about it was hard to say. Had hours passed or was his mind just stretching out the minutes? How long would it take for Specs to row out of sight by himself? If he even listened to Jack’s instructions when the time was up.

His thoughts were finally interrupted by the sound of the door unlocking, causing Jack to tense. Part of him wished he could jump to his feet and make a quick escape as soon as the door opened but logically he knew he wasn’t likely to get far trying it. Sure enough Snyder appeared firmly in the center of the doorway and Jack was glad to not have given him the satisfaction of thwarting an attempt to bolt.

“You never fail to find new kinds of trouble, I’ll give you that,” Snyder declared. “As if your years of insolence and disobedience or being brought in for the typical sorts of crimes wasn’t enough, you show up at the very doorstep of this institution to traffic contraband- stolen, no doubt. I wonder if you at least learned one lesson from past experience.”  
“Learned plenty ‘bout giving you the slip,” Jack replied.

“I thought I made it clear last time that your behavior can make things worse for you,” Snyder replied. Jack fidgeted in his seat, rolling his right shoulder just slightly but his glare remained in place. “By contrast, cooperating could make things better.”

“That so?” Jack raised a brow, very much doubting he would be cooperating with anything Snyder the Spider wanted. He did prefer to at least know what the man was getting at though.

“I want to know exactly who your accomplices are and how you managed this little stunt.”

“Ain’t got no accomplices,” Jack replied firmly, hoping Snyder bothering to ask him meant Specs got away.

“You can play tough but do you think the boys you brought that contraband to will keep quiet?”

“It was pretty dark,” Jack replied. “Shadows might’ve been playin’ tricks on anybody.”

In a second Snyder crossed the room to tower over Jack. The newsie flinched as Snyder grabbed him by the arm and pulling him to stand, the movement causing the handcuffs to bite into his wrists. “Don’t give me that,” Snyder growled. “A second bag was found at the gate, someone else was here.”

And made it out of the main grounds. Jack thought, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. Apparently Snyder noticed, shaking Jack in frustration. It might have been funny to see him so riled up if Jack wasn’t quite so cornered.

“Who else was here?” Snyder demanded.

“I left the bag there, extra supplies for later.” It didn’t matter if Snyder believed him or not. Probably didn’t. But while Jack was pretty much sunk he could avoid dragging anyone else down with him.

“And I suppose you sprouted wings and flew across the river,” Snyder said, his voice icy.

“Swam actually. Think I got a shot at the Olympics?”

Snyder threw him down, a thump sounding through the tiny room as Jack’s head struck the wooden floor. He grimaced with a groan escaping him at the impact, unable to break the fall he landed roughly, his arm awkwardly pressed between the floor and his own weight. And restrained as he was he didn’t have much hope of getting back to his feet. Jack felt his throat seem to tighten and pulse race knowing he was entirely at the Spider’s mercy now.

“Impertinent as ever,” Snyder spat. “It looks like you still only ever learn the hard way.” He sent a sharp kick into Jack’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Jack reflexively curled in on himself, coughing and gasping for air. Which just seemed to aggravate the pain where Snyder’s foot had connected. “And I expect I’ll have plenty of time to finally get a lesson through after this stunt,” he added, raising his voice above Jack’s slightly ragged breaths. Especially when the judge hears how uncooperative you are.”  
His words hung in the air, clearly an invitation to offer some information. One Jack ignored, his expression set in a pained grimace but still resolute as he looked up at Snyder. He couldn’t keep from crying out when Snyder kicked him again before leaving the room. The sound of the door slamming and lock turning echoing through the room as Jack remained on the floor, struggling to catch his breath.

The sun had been well up by the time someone came for Jack, who had had no luck getting off the floor. Snyder had reported the incident and got one of the judges he had in his pocket involved. And just like that Jack was sentenced to remain imprisoned in the Refuge for six months. Six months of working to the bone, of the Spider’s idea of instilling discipline, and being so hungry it wouldn’t matter how molded or rotted the scraps of food were. As it was Jack hadn’t even gotten that much, he’d been left in the cell past breakfast and Snyder had Jack brought to him for more interrogations about how he had gotten in during the rest of the meal times. Being locked up here was always Hell but this time it would also be six months of not knowing how the newsies, the other kids that counted on him, were doing. Six months of hoping none of them did anything stupid to get themselves soaked or arrested. Something like he did.

It had only been one full day and Jack already felt drained as the day finally came to an end and they were all sent to the dormitories. Once his sentence was officially on the record Snyder wasted no time assigning him to the hardest work assignments and, not surprisingly, putting him in the north wing. Most of the others in his cell were close to Jack’s own age, give or take a year or so. And it being the north wing meant at least a few would be the type to pick fights and probably used to winning them. Jack wasn’t one take being pushed around but he also was not in the mood to ask for trouble. A quick count proved every bed would already have at least two occupants, probably more on some. Jack quickly took stock of the room, watching where the others went. Unfortunately the majority of the bunks either had occupants that were already eyeing him with scowls as if daring him to try and make them give up an inch of space or were already packed full with three or four teenagers. Being crowded was going to be unavoidable here but he still hated it. At the very least he was determined to minimize how much crowding he would have to deal with.

Finally he spotted a top bunk with only two occupants. The one below had the two biggest and toughest looking boys in the room. Possibly the most timid had been afraid to even risk approaching them and one of the upper bunks looked thin and gangly- likely to have sharp elbows and knees while he slept. But even if Jack’s already bruised stomach and side was going to have a tough time with that, a few jabs were still better than feeling like a sardine. The two on the bottom glared as he approached but he moved quickly to reach up to the upper frame and haul himself up, grimacing as his bruises protested but managing to get up quickly enough. There was some indistinguishable grumbling from his new bunkmates but they yielded space for him with only some half hearted shoves. Soon enough Jack managed to find a mostly comfortable position and let exhaustion take him.  
He seldom ever slept deeply though, especially not in this place. So all too soon he felt himself being pulled from his sleep, slowly but surely, by a sound. It was quiet, too distant and muffled to be guards waking them to start the day. But it was persistent and rhythmic enough that Jack’s sleepy mind couldn’t dismiss it as just old beams creaking or a rat scratching at something. He frowned, now fully awake he realized the sound was tapping...tapping like he did!

Jack sat up, ignoring the twinge in his side as his head whipped over to the window. Squinting he focused on the glass, finally catching the shift in shadows of something moving out in the darkness. He climbed down as quietly as he could and hurried to cross the room opening the window. And sure enough there was a pair of glasses glinting in the moonlight back at him.

“Specs!” He kept his voice at a whisper but it was still strained with shock and an odd mixture of relief and irritation.

On the other hand as Specs registered him the other boy looked almost sad. “Jack? So they did catch ya?”

“What’re you doin’ here?” Jack demanded. “You ain’t been here all day have ya?”

Specs shook his head. “Nah, I...might’ve given a couple extra minutes but I took off like you said after a bit.” Seeing Jack’s confusion at that he sighed. “I sorta figured I knew what it meant when ya didn’t show up. But then when I had to tell the other fellas I just...kept thinkin’ how I didn’t see them grab ya. So maybe you got away but just couldn’t make it back to the boat. Only I wasn’t sure where to start lookin’ out on the grounds so figured I’d ask around if anyone here heard anything. First room I checked said there was someone new in this wing.”

“I wish,” Jack sighed. He was grateful Specs didn’t want to risk leaving him uncaught but still trapped on the island. But this was still a huge risk. “Listen, Specs, ya can’t be here. Snyder’s set on findin’ out who else was involved last night.” He spoke quickly, half expecting a guard to burst in the room or start shouting from the ground any moment. “I ain’t gonna tell but they’s gonna be doing tighter security, for sure. And no tellin’ if the kids you talked to’ll snitch or not.”

“Don’t worry I ain’t doin’ a delivery run or nothin’. Just...I’m sorry, Jack.” Even in the darkness Jack could see the sympathy in his face as he said the last part. His initial confident tone faltering just a little. “Was really hoping you weren’t locked up in this place.”

Jack did his best to give a cocky grin. “Ain’t the first time, I’ll be out before ya know it.” Jack wasn’t entirely sure he believed that. Six months would feel all too long for him, just thinking about it made his stomach twist. And even if it didn’t drag on quite as long for the other newsies it was still a long time.

Specs hummed with a small nod, probably knowing the truth but deciding to go along with the more positive spin. “Will probably have to give it a couple months before me and the fellas can get enough for another delivery run anyway but I’ll do my best to come by this way when-”

“No!” Jack hissed, shaking his head. “You ain’t gonna do a delivery run again. Not even in a couple months. I told ya, Snyder knows I wasn’t alone. He’ll be expectin’ someone else showin’ up. Long as I’m here he’s gonna keep a tight net- you was lucky to get here tonight but ya can’t risk it again.”

“You sure?” Specs asked, clearly surprised. “Not even quick stops?”

“Nothing,” Jack replied, managing to sound more set than he really felt. He knew it was for the best, now that Snyder was on to them it was too risky. At least as long as Jack was here, even after that he’d have to give it a lot of thought. “Now get outta here before ya get caught,” he added.

“Alright, alright,” Specs waved off his urgency. “Well...good luck, I guess. See ya when you’re out.”

“Yeah,” Jack nodded. “Tell the fellas to keep carryin’ the banner- even if I ain’t around to be an alarm clock.”

That earned a soft chuckle before Specs turned to make his way down the fire escape. Jack closed the window, not wanting anything to look amiss from the outside if guards were patrolling but he stayed nearby, straining to listen for the slightest sound. Releasing a breath after he felt like Specs must be a good distance away. He had to make it through this for the newsies, had to make it back to them soon as he could. The Spider wasn’t going to make it easy- over the years Jack had felt like every stay in the Refuge was worse than the last. But he made it this far and he would do it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this was such a low point to end a story on, I'm sorry. But if you want a happier end please continue on to the next story in this series "A Ride to Remember." After all, we know from the show Jack won't be staying for the full sentence this time. This was definitely a different tone of story for me to write so please let me know what you thought. Kudos and/or feedback are always much appreciated!
> 
> History facts: The first (modern) Olympics were held in 1896 in Athens so it would have occurred just a few years before the events of this story. Although that would have been the only Olympics to occur before this story I imagine it would have gotten enough coverage in the papers for Jack to have it readily on his mind for snarky comments.


End file.
